Thread-winding machine and tension control.



G. E. CHAFFIN.

THREAD WINDING MACHINE AND TENSION CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1913.

INVENTOR. Cjajzzzce E. 012017111.

Patented June 16, 1914.

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WITNESSES: %Q%wri%- J QNW ATTORNEY.

COLUMBIA ILANOGIAFH COUWAIHINOTON, D. C.

G. E. GHAPFIN.

THREAD WINDING MAGHINE AND TENSION CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1913.

Patnted June 16,1914,

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

11v VENTOR. Cjawzzce E. 011mm WITNESSES: m. gm 6W A TTORNE Y.

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CLARENCE E. CI-IAFFIN, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAD-WINDING MACHINE AND TENSION CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

Application filed April 24, 1913. Serial No. 763,268.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLARENCE E. GHAFFIN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thread-Winding Machine and Tension Control, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in thread-winding machines.

The object of the invention is to provide an automatic device to increase the tension of all of the driving belts that extend between the common driving-drum and the spindles, on the spools of which the thread is being wound. As the spool on which the thread is being wound builds up or increases in diameter, it is necessary that in order to carry theincreased weight of the builtup spool that the tension on the driving belts should be proportionately increased. Another reason for increasing the tension of the driving belts is that on account of the increased diameter of the spool more power is required to drive the spool on which the thread is being wound.

Broadly, the invention consists of devices, associated with the reciprocating threadguide and designed to operate at the termination of a layer of the thread to automatically increase the distance between the common driving-drum and a tension-roller, so that the belts that extend between these two members are automatically tightened at the end of the travel of the reciprocating thread-guides in one direction.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the machine showing the beltconnecting means between the common driving-drum and the tension-rollers; also the reciprocating rod which carries the threadguides, and means thereon to effect the adjustment of said rollers, and the automatic means between the thread-guide and the tension-rollers, in all the tiers of spools that are being wound to effect the movement of all of the rollers. Fig. 2 is a plan view on the sectional line 22 of Fig. 1, showing one of the tension-rollers in plan view, and the continuous driving-belt which extends around the tension-roller, the drum, and all of the spool-spindles in that particular tier, also the ratchet-mechanism for moving the tension-roller so as to increase the distance between the axis of the common driving-drum and the tension-roller, also a worm-gear mechanism between the drum and the shaft which transmits motion to the means for operating the thread-guide. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the connecting means between all of the rods, on the outer end of which the tension-rollers are located, whereby when one of the rods is actuated, the other rods will be simultaneously moved an equal amount to increase the tension on the take-up rollers of all of the tiers.

Referring to the drawings in detail,a designates the base-portion of the frame, 5 the upright portion, 0 the upper horizontal member of the frame, and d an inclined member or brace-bar which connects the upper and lower parts of the frame. L0- cated in suitable hearings in upper and lower members of the frame is a drum 6 which may be considered a common drivingdrum for all of the spindles on which the winding spools are mounted. Mounted on the lower end of the drum 0 is a beveled gear f that meshes with a beveled gear 9 that is secured to the main driving-shaft h. Arranged in parallel relation with the shaft h is a second shaft i that is driven from a worm j which is secured to the lower end of the drum '6 and meshes with the worm 70 on the shaft 2'. Attached to the outer end of the shaft 71 is a heart-shaped cam m that is designed to transmit uniform reciprocating movement to the vertically-arranged rod 0, and in order to accomplish this result a lever 79 is pivoted to the side of the main frame at Q, and mounted thereon is a roller 1' that engages the periphery of the heartshaped cam m while its inner end 8 engages the lower end of the rod 0. It will be seen that when the machine is operated that the movement of the heart-shaped cam at will transmit a vertically-uniform motion to the rod 0 which carries the thread guides through which the thread passes to the spools. This rod has attached thereto a series of arms t in the outer ends of which are located the thread-guides u, the thread being indicated at o and the spools at w. The spools w are driven by means of the spindles w, and secured to these spindlesare the driving pulleys y around which passes a continuous belt 8 that passes around the drum 6 and the tension-rollers 4. A tension roller is provided for each tier of spools w as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Each tension roller 4 is adjustably mounted on the outer end of an adjusting rod 5, and each of the bearings 6, which rotatably support the tension rollers 4, are formed with a threaded opening to receive the threaded end of the adjusting rod 5, as shown. Each of the bearings 6 which support these rollers are formed with a threadedopening to receive the threaded end of the rods 5 as shown. 7 designates a vertically-arranged bracket-bar to provide a bearing for the outer ends of,

the adjusting-rods 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Secured to the outer ends of each of the adjusting-rods 5 and on the opposite side of the bar 7 are sprocket-wheels 8, one being secured to each rod 5, as shown. Passing around the sprocket-wheels 8 is a continuous sprocket-chain 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 8.

10 designates a tightening roller mounted on the adjustable bracket 11, whereby the tension of the sprocket-chain 9 may be varied as required.

12 designates a handle secured to the outer end of one of the adjusting-rods 5 for the purpose of manually operating all of the rods, whereby the tension of the drivingbelt 3 may be varied at any time. Secured to the uppermost-one of the adj usting-rods 5 is a ratchet-wheel 13.

14 designates a pawl pivoted to the frame at 15 for operating this ratchet-wheel.

16 designates the outer end or arm-portion of the pawl 14c, and it will be noticed that this arm is arranged to be engaged by the up-turned end 17 of the arm 18 on the rod 0, when it reaches the end of its uppermost travel, causing the ratchet-wheel 13 to be moved forward a distance of one tooth or more, as desired. This operation will rotate the uppermost rod 5, and, by means of the sprocket-chain 9, this movement is simultaneously transmitted to the other adj ustingrods 5, causing each of the bearings 6 of all of the tension-rollers t in all of the tiers of spools w to be moved outward on the guideways 19, whereby the continuous belts 3, which extend around these rollers 4c and all of the pulleys y on the spindles x, will be simultaneously tightened; it being understood that this movement which is imparted to the adjusting-rods 5 takes place at the time that the roller 1" on the lever 39 engages the apex of the heart-shaped cam m. A weight 20 is attached to the vertical rod 0 by means of the cord 21 andis for the purpose of counter-balancing the weight of this rod and the arms t, the cord 21 passing over a pulley 22 on the upper bar 0 of the main frame. From this construction, it will be seen that devices are provided for automatically varying the tension of all of the driving-belts 3 in all of the tiers of spools that are being wound as the diameter of the spools w builds up.

In this class of winding machines it is very necessary that the thread should be wound onto the spools at the same tension throughout the winding operation. That is to say, each of the layers of thread must be wound uniform in tightness, as, otherwise, the thread will not unwind uniformly when used. A further necessity of revolving the spools with belts of uniform tension is that the spools, when finished, should all. have the same uniform appearance as to size. When the winding process starts, there is, of course, less power required to elfect the winding process, but as the spools build up more power is necessary because of the increased weight of the partially-wound spools and the increased diameter, as mentioned above.

The object of the present invention is, therefore, designed to accomplish the results sought for by automatically varying the tension of the spool driving-belts in proportion as the winding process proceeds.

A pin 14- on the bracket 14 is designed to be placed in any one of the holes 14 for the purpose of varying the take-up, depending upon the size or number of the thread being wound. A collar 8 is held on shaft 5 by set-screw 5 so that when this set-screw is loosened each shaft 5 may be independently rotated to adjust the tension on the thread.

5 designates a knurled disk on the shaft 5 to facilitate the operator in turning the shaft 5 with his fingers.

hat I claim, is,

1. In an automatic thread-winding machine, the combination with the main frame, of a series of spools on which the thread is wound, a driving-drum, an adjustable tension-roller, a continuous belt extending around the driving-spindles of all of the spools in that series, said tension-roller and said drum, thread-guiding devices, means for actuating said devices, and means actuated by said devices at the end of their travel to adjust the tension-roller as the diameter of the spools builds up, whereby the said belt may be tightened as described.

2. A thread-winding machine, comprising a reciprocating thread-guiding member, arms attached to said member to convey the thread to be wound, driving means for the spools, spools on which the thread is wound, tension-rollers to adjust the driving means for the spools, a common driving-drum, said driving means extending around the drum, tension-rollers, and the spindles on which the spools are mounted, adjusting devices on which the tension-rollers for each tier of spools are mounted, and. means for connecting said adjusting devices together, whereby all of the devices for all of the tiers may be moved in unison, and operating means be tween said reciprocating member and one of the adjustable rods on which the tensionrollers are mounted to operate the said lastnamed rods, whereby said tension-rollers may be adjusted as the spools build up, as described.

8. In a Winding-machine, the combination, a frame in which a plurality of rows of Winding spools are located, a common driving-drum for said spools, a take-up roller for each row of spools, a single continuous driving-band passing around the said drum, the take-up roller for each row of spools and the shafts of all of the spools in a row, means to guide the material to be Wound to the rows of spools, and means operable from said guiding means to automatically adjust the position of the take-up rollers to vary the tension on the driving bands of all of the roWs of spools in proportion as the diameters of the spools build up.

4. A take-up device for Winding-machines,

comprising, in combination, a Winding device, a driving-member, a reciprocable thread guiding member, driving means connecting the Winding device and the driving member, a shaft driven from said drivingmember, a cam on the driven-shaft to operate the reciprocable member, a take-up roller interposed between the driving member, and the winding-device, and automatic means operable from the reciprocable member to adjust the take-up roller at the end of the travel of the reciprocable member, as described.

CLARENCE E. OHAFFIN.

Witnesses:

HARRY W. BOWEN, MINNIE A. HUNTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

